Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-08
PUBLISHERS IN INDIA.
Mohamrnedan Literary Enterprise--A,iopt
ing Western Methods.

adopting Western methods. Ia no re-
spect IS that fact more apparent than
IN the publication OF books and serials.
From the time when Carey landed IN
Calcutta, IN the last decade of the
eighteenth century, and set up his
printing-press in the little Danish
suburb Of Serampore, down to the
present year. no Christian missionary
has exhibited more energy and thrift
than the Mohammedan aud Hindu na-
lives are now displaying for the propa-
CATION OF their faiths.
The most striking Illustration Of this
remarkable departure for strengthen
ing the trembling fabric Of the Old re-
ligion Of India IS the great publishing
house of Muushi NeWal Kishore. i'm
Lucknow. This is the fourth eitv in
size in India, and is well situated. rs a
distributing centre, not only for the
whole valley Of the Ganges, but for
the entire Indian peninsula. KishOre
is, first Of all, a school-book publisher.
He seems to have the favor of the
British government to remarkable de-
gree, and fills contracts for supplying
books in the Indian tongues to schools
in large portions Of the Puniab Heis
a MOhammedau, and makes no secret
Of it. But with the publishers in
stinct, he keeps his religion in the
background. He never puts his faith
at the top Of his bill-heads lie is
broad man-broad in everything eX-
cept Christianity, and it is not likely
that the Gospel has more vigorous
hatcr in the whole Gangetic Valley
than this willy man. But he is no
bigoted professional Bitter hater as
he is of Hinduism and of all the mum
erous nOn-Mohammedan faiths, he
seems rs ready TO publish books for
the promotion of Brahminish and of
is rival faith, Buddhism, AS to issue
apologies and textbooks in behalf of
Islam.
The Kishore publishing house is sit
uated ON the Hazrat Gunge, the main
street OF Lucknow. The buildings
are numerous, but low, mostly OF one
story after the native fashion, and eX-
eeedingly plain. Many OF them are
mere sheds, where the work is done in
full view OF others on the premises.
The roofs are of brick thing. These
buildings cover vast space, which is
divided into many alleys and nom
| descript passage-Ways. running AZ all
angles with each other, and deScrib-
inc sucR curves as one can lind in the
denser parts Of Lubbock or Nurem-
berg | entered the premises by a
long lane running at right angles
from the main street. No one in pass
ing along the street would suspect,
unless lac should turn into the lane,
the number of men hard at work at
the farther end or the Wonderful
magnitude of their operations. The
orders are constantly coming in from
all India and even from Afghauistan,
Arabia, and Turkey in Europe. The
many people engaged in carrying on
the business nave all they can do to
fill the orders and prepare for new
ones on the way, Were the build
| ngs covering such an area as this in
| Europe, and four or five stories high,
yet turning out no more work than
these primitive nuts and sheds, their
value could not be less than half
million dollars. But in Lucknow
value those many buildings and the
ground covered by them would not
sell for more than about forty thou
sand dollars. Mother Earth is the
common resting-place. The men and
BOYS i'm great numbers sit on the earth
en- floor IN all possible positions, and
carry ON thcir work They set type,
read proof, and bind the sheets while
sitting squat on the ground
There ts y great dispyoportion be-
tween the amount Of type and the vol
umcs p4ntcd Wlule there is an inn
mcnse gEantty OF type used in
Kishorc mouse, the tithographing of
n whole BOOB is "a fayoritc procedure.
have d COPY of the Koran, bought
upon the promises, which is one foot
long and eight inches broad, and ! am
quite sure that not a type was used in
the printing of it. The plates are lith-
ograph, and of excellent finish As
this particular volume was intended
to be illustrated in colors, the dill
Guilty was to supply the cuts. This OF
course, could have been met by sep
arate impression. But that Is not
kishorus method. All these blanks
are filled by colored illustrations az
piled by hand These are quite ruda-
~ done, and yet the pictures are strik-
ING, and to an Oriental eye must be
attractive For the Koran which |
bought, having three hundred and sew
euteeu pages, with numerous illustra-
tions. bound in fun leather, the price
was only two dollars and half.
But while large portion Of work in
this Mohammedan publishing house is
done upon stone instead OF type there
is also am immense amount CT the
usual type-setting and casting. the
Arabic aud some Of the Hindu tongues
are very favorable for engraving on
stone. The whole alphabet, in several
cases, consists of curve, which can he
easily executed by sharp tools Bat
when it comes TO the Roman letters
and Ki,hore has his abundant uses for
printing even in English bookS-thiS
slrcNG publisher uses type. and bis
capable artisans know how to preP1rc
plates from It Quiteas vel. as the bug
| fish or American founders. btSt9p
| John r. Hurst, iH A9rperS NE5dslae.
lnnocents Abroad.